This DIY crochet or knitting project bag makes it easy to take your project with you! It carries like a tote bag, with plenty of room to hold your projects, plus pockets on the inside to keep you organized. You can sew one for yourself using my tutorial!
I’ve recently started knitting – and I mean, I’m very much a beginner. Sewing will always be my first and main love, but it’s just not as portable as knitting. So when I want a project I can take along with me to a park or to my mother’s house, or even to just pass the time in a doctor’s waiting room, knitting is what I turn to.
Now, if you’re taking your knitting (or crochet) projects with you, it’s nice to have a bag to keep everything all neat and organized. For the longest time I used just a gallon baggie to keep my project together, but I wanted something that looked a bit nicer than that.
I’ve got a sewing tutorial for you below.
This knitting project bag is 11” tall x 14” wide at the top (9.5” wide at the bottom), which gives plenty of space to hold a knitting or crochet project. The bottoms are boxed to a roomy 5” to accommodate bulky skeins of yarn.
And while it looks just like a regular tote bag at first glance, there’s actually an inset drawstring closure that will keep your project from spilling out.
The sides are interlined with a Flex Foam so the bag will stand up (and open) on it’s own. The drawstring panel can flip out over the edge so your tote becomes more like a bucket bag, giving easy access to contents. I like to just work on my project with my yarn still in the bag. Easy peasy!
Customize the Interior Pockets
Interior pockets are completely optional, and they’re easy to customize to the type of knitting or crochet (or other yarn craft) that you do. You can easily change the size and placement of the pockets, as well as the placement of any pocket dividers.
When I made my bag, I wanted a pocket large enough to hold a full sized printout of a knitting pattern. That’s a pretty big pocket and it turns out that it gapes quite a bit. Just keep that in mind if you want to make a super big pocket like that. I’m going to go back and add a elastic loop and button closure at the top of it to keep it from gaping open.
How to Sew a DIY Crochet or Knitting Project Bag
Supplies
Faux leather – ½ yard
Main fabric – ½ yard
Lining fabric – 1 yard – 1 ½ yards depending on size and number of interior pockets
Single sided fusible Flex Foam – ½ yard
Rope cord – 3 yards
Cutting Instructions
Bag Bottom – 2 pieces faux leather, 6.5” tall x 16” wide
Straps – 2 pieces faux leather, 30” long x 4” wide
Bag Exterior – 2 pieces main fabric, 10” tall x 16” wide
Interlining – 2 pieces single sided fusible Flex Foam, 8 1/2” tall x 16” wide
Lining – 2 pieces lining fabric, 14” tall x 16” wide
Drawstring Panel – 2 pieces lining fabric, 14” tall x 16” wide
*Optional* 5” Tall Pocket Panel – 2 pieces lining fabric, 5.5” tall x 13” wide
*Optional* 8.5” Tall Pocket Panel – 2 pieces lining fabric, 9” tall x 13” wide
Drawstring cord – 2 pieces 3/8” wide macrame cord, 48” each
All seam allowances are ½” unless otherwise noted. RST = Right Side Together.
Prep
Follow manufacturer’s instructions to fuse the Flex Foam to the back of the Bag Exterior pieces. The Flex Foam is 1 ½” shorter than the Bag Exterior pieces. Line the bottom of the Flex Foam up with the bottom of the Bag Exterior so the extra fabric is at the top.
Sew the Bag Exterior
Sew the Bag Bottom to the bottom of the Bag Exterior pieces, RST. (You will be sewing through the Flex Foam.)
Finger press the seam allowances to the vinyl side, then topstitch on the vinyl ¼” from the seam.
Place the two Bag Exteriors RST. Sew around sides and bottom, leaving the top open.
Box the corners to 5”. (To make a 5” bottom , your boxing seam should be 2.5” from the tip of the flattened out side seam.) If you haven’t boxed corners before, here’s a good tutorial showing how to do it.–
Sew the Pockets – OPTIONAL
Pockets for the inside of the knitting tote bag are entirely optional. I chose to make two pocket panels – one that was 8.5” tall to hold instruction sheets, and one that was 5” tall to hold double point knitting needles and other tools.
These instructions only show how to make the 5” divided pocket panel, but both pockets are made the same way. The only difference is the size and if/where you choose to sew dividers. My large pocket didn’t have any dividers and it gapes. If you choose to make a pocket this way I would suggest adding a small elastic loop and button to keep it from gaping.
Place your Pocket pieces RST. Sew around all 4 sides with a ¼” seam allowance, leaving 2” open on one of the short sides for a turning hole.
Clip corners. Turn right side out and press. At the turning hole, press the seam allowances to the inside.
Topstitch along the top 1/8″ from the edge.
Place your Pocket on one of the Lining pieces.
5” Pocket: 4” from the top, centered horizontally.
8.5” Pocket: 2” from the top, centered horizontally.
Sew around sides and bottom of the Pocket close to the edge.
Unless you’re making a pocket large enough to hold an 8 ½” x 11” printed pattern, you’ll probably want to divide your pocket. Use a temporary marking pen to mark the stitch lines.
For my 5” pocket, I marked the following lines, moving right to left and starting my measurements from my stitch line (which is slightly inset from the side of the Pocket piece):
¾”, ¾”, ¾”, ¾”, ¾”, 4 ¾”
This created 7 pockets – 5 narrow pockets for my double point needles, a large middle pocket to hold my phone, and slightly smaller pocket at the end to hold scissors or circular needles.
Sew the Lining
Place Lining pieces RST. Sew around sides and bottom, leaving the top open.
Box the corners to 5”.
Sew the Drawstring Panel
Place the two Drawstring Panel pieces RST. Sew at the sides, leaving 2” open in the middle of each seam.
The easiest way to mark the 2” to leave open in the middle is to first find and mark the middle point of the piece, then mark 1” before and after that middle point.
Press the seam allowances open. Then, topstitch 3/8” from each side of the seam to secure your seam allowances. (You’ll thank me for this step later when you’re threading the drawstring through the casing and the seam allowances don’t get in the way.)
Fold the Drawstring Panel in half lengthwise, wrong sides together, creating a double-sided tube.
Place the Drawstring Panel around the top of the Lining, RST and with side seams matching. Baste in place with ¼” seam allowance.
Sew the Straps
Working your way down the length of the Strap pieces, fold the sides to the middle and then fold the Strap in half. Use fabric clips to secure.
Top stitch close to the edge down sides of the strap.
Being careful not to twist the Straps, pin the ends of Straps to the top of the Lining, RST, 4” in from sides of bag. Baste in place with ¼” seam allowance.
Assemble the Bag
On Bag Exterior, press ½” along top (raw edge) to the wrong side.
Place Lining inside Bag Exterior, wrong sides together.
Fold the top edge of the Bag Exterior over the top of the Lining, encasing the raw edges. Pin in place.
Sew around the top of the bag with 7/8” seam allowance to secure. This step is easiest if you sew on the Lining side of the bag so you can be sure that you’re catching all of the layers.
You’ll notice that the Straps are facing down, on the inside of the bag. Fold them up so they’re facing outside of the bag. Then sew around the top of the bag again, this time 1/8” from the edge to secure the direction of the Straps.
There are a LOT of layers where the Straps are, so you’ll need to hand crank the machine over those parts.
Your knitting bag is almost done! The last step is to thread the cord through the casing.
Thread one of the pieces of cording through one casing, back through the other. Thread one of the ends through the tab at the bottom. Tie the ends together in a knot.
Repeat with the other piece of cording, but starting on the opposite side of the pouch.
NOW your crochet or knitting project bag is complete!!
I think that sounds like a perfect excuse to go buy some pretty new yarn to fill it up, don’t you think?
If you love this you will also surely love these tutorials from Anne:
Biscournu Fabric Pin Cushion Sewing Tutorial
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